


Only You

by sourumeitos



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Depression, Drabble Collection, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Mindless Fluff, One Shot Collection, One-Sided Relationship, POV Second Person, Platonic Relationships, Psychological Torture, Reader-Insert, Romance, Suicidal Thoughts, Thriller, Tragedy, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-18 02:12:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3552155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sourumeitos/pseuds/sourumeitos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of one-shots & drabbles related to Steve Rogers and you!</p><p>{ 7. Close Call }<br/>You almost gave up. Now you needed to tell Steve you were sorry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were in need of a little history lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actual locations are used since I live around D.C. I had to visit the museum just to draw some inspiration for this particular one-shot. xD Then I went out for dinner/happy hour and went to Dupont Circle to observe the apartment they used in the film and... yeeeah. Stay sober, kids.
> 
> ANYWAY, here's my very first Steve reader-insert that I've written! Enjoy.

You don’t know how you ended up at the museum after work. Despite living in Washington D.C., you never took full advantage of the history and culture it has to offer. You worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. in Cyber Security, and despite your lack of skill as a field agent you’re most valuable at ethical hacking and improving S.H.I.E.L.D.’s network defenses. Your daily work schedule normally lasted for about ten to twelve hours, but due to the upcoming federal holiday, your department was allowed to end the workday early with paid leave.

Most recently the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum opened up an exhibit featuring Captain America. Since your trip to the museum was spur of the moment you decided to check out the new exhibit. Though the demonstrations within the exhibit said he’s deceased, coverage from the Battle of New York two years prior proved otherwise. 

“They should’ve opened this at the American History Museum instead… it doesn’t make sense,” you mumbled to yourself as you look down at the brochure.

You heard a chuckle from behind you after what you said. You quickly turned your head to look at whoever was laughing at you. A tall, well-built man wearing a baseball cap was standing a few feet from your position.

“Sorry about that. I couldn’t agree more,” he said as he stood next to you, adjusting his cap so his face couldn’t be seen properly.

“Uh-huh, whatever…” you shrugged as you walked away.

The man looked confused, wondering if he did something to offend you. Taking a deep breath, he called out after you.

“Wait!” 

He then noticed he was starting to draw attention, but was relieved he drew yours.

“Huh?” you looked back over your shoulder.

“Umm, come with me…” he stammered as he quickly walked ahead of you.

_‘What’s this guy’s problem?’_ you thought to yourself as you followed him to a more isolated part of the museum. 

\---

There were less number of tourists wandering the Time and Navigation exhibit, which gave you an opportunity talk with the man in private.

“I’m sorry for bringing you here, Miss… but I’d like to apologize for earlier,” he rubbed the back of his neck and removed his cap. Despite the dark lighting you were able to recognize his face.

“Captain Rogers? Oh gosh, I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t mean to give you attitude earlier—“

“No, it’s fine. A lady has every right to get snarky with me with my earlier behavior, I get it. And please, call me Steve,” he extended his hand out to you.

You nodded and looked down at his hand and gently shook it, “Okay… Steve. And, umm… my name’s [name] [last name].”

A gentle smile formed on his face as he recognized the name, “You work in Cyber Security, correct?”

Your eyes widened as Steve recognized who you were. You were always quiet and kept to yourself unless Nick Fury stopped by to check in on updates within your department. You wondered how Steve got a hold of your which department you worked for.

“Yeah, I do. How’d you know?”

“Director Fury wants me to build a foundation on how computer hacking works. I don’t need to know what exactly it is that you do in your field of work. I just need a lesson of understanding from an expert like yourself. He recommended your name to me and honestly I think it’s fate that we met up like this… despite the circumstances, of course.”

“Would this be during work hours, or…?” you trailed off during your question. “I don’t do things for free, just so you know.”

“During work hours or over a cup of coffee,” he replied, “either way I’ll make sure you’re properly compensated by S.H.I.E.L.D.”

You grinned, “Okay, but first I’d like a history lesson from Captain America himself. I’m sure not everything showcased in the exhibit is entirely accurate.”

“Sounds like a deal,” he chuckled a bit as he placed his baseball cap back on and walked with you towards the exit.

You took a deep breath and said, “How about we go over to Dupont Circle? There’s this café not too far from where I live that we can grab coffee at.”

“Are you talking about Kramerbooks & Afterwords? I live a few blocks from there myself,” Steve held the door open for you as you both left the museum. “I find myself catching up on books there while drinking a cup of joe.”

“Yeah, that’s the place!” you exclaimed, covering your mouth from excitement, “Wait. Does this mean we’re neighbors, kinda?”

“I guess we are,” Steve laughed as you both headed towards the Metro station. He found it difficult meeting up with others outside of S.H.I.E.L.D., so he hoped that something—whether it be friendship or something more—would develop. Little did he know that the same went for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... I've been doing a personal character study of Steve. I think I fried my brain for the past month with the number of comics I've read and the countless number of times I've replayed the films involving our fave capsicle. There's definitely a lot of differences between MCU and the comic books, notably his level of confidence demonstrated in the films. I'll be portraying him as I best see fit for the works within this collection, so if you disagree with my portrayal of him I apologize in advance.


	2. Right Place, Right Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's your new neighbor. You have Thai food.  
> Sam... is taking over Natasha's "role" as matchmaker?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "That was not my first kiss since 1945. I'm 95, I'm not dead." - this quote is one of the reasons why I've been portraying Steve more confident and forward about dating around pre/post-Winter Soldier timeline. Also after reading some comic book chapters from the different Cap series I noticed how Steve flirts and interacts with Sharon. He's not always "awkward/shy about relationships" as he's been typecasted as. So yeah... hope you like this one-shot. :'D

“You sure about this, Cap?” Sam asked as he placed the remaining books on the shelf, “I’m sure Tony Stark has much more to offer at his tower back in New York City than this place.”

“Yeah, I just need a break. Besides this apartment is more ‘humbling’ than what Stark has to offer. By the way, thanks for finding this apartment for me. After what happened to my old place I needed a place to relocate to,” Steve said as he began to unpack the last box in his apartment. “So you said you can vouch for my next-door neighbor? No undercover agents of sort this time?”

Sam laughed a bit at Steve’s skepticism, “Of course. Girl’s name is [Name]. She used to volunteer at the VA office as work-study during her college years but now she works at a digital agency—far from her psychology major back then. Anyway, I should go.”

Sam opened the front door to Steve’s apartment and heard footsteps. He stepped out and said, “Hey [Name]. Having people over?”

You went to a restaurant a few blocks away and did carry-out for lunch. You shook your head as you opened the door to your apartment, “Oh, hey Sam. Nah. It’s the weekend and I ordered enough just in case I decide to be lazy and not go out for the weekend. The new guy moved in?”

“Yeah, he did,” Sam responded as he moved to the side and allowed for Steve to step out into the hallway.

You pushed the door open to your apartment and almost dropped your takeout order. “Shit!”

Steve’s fast reflexes saved your takeout from spilling all over the floor, “I got it.”

You blushed as your eyes met Steve’s. “Y-Yeah…”

“Still clumsy as always.”

“Sam!”

Sam laughed as he started to walk down the stairs, “See you later, Rogers. You too, [Name].”

Steve held the bag in his arms as you walked inside your apartment. You set your keys and purse down on the coffee table and walked back over to him. “You’re welcome to join me for lunch.”

“Usually I’d get a formal introduction before receiving an invitation,” Steve followed you to the kitchen and placed the bag down on the counter.

You gave him a coy look and held out your hand, “As Sam earlier said, my name’s [Name]. Well… [Name] [Last Name]. When Sam said he has a good friend in need of a place to stay, I sure wasn’t expecting you.”

“Well what kind of neighbor were you expecting?” Steve asked out of curiosity as he shook your hand. “Oh—and the name’s Steve. Steve Rogers.”

You blushed a bit as you released his hand. You knew who he was, at least from what you saw on TV and from what Sam told you. You placed your hands on the paper bag and removed the stapler holding the fold down. You reached in and grabbed the plastic containers of food and placed it along the counter. You faced Steve and looked up at him as you leaned against the counter.

“My last neighbors were college students that stayed up late every night. This neighborhood is notorious for late night partying since we’re not too far from Adam’s Morgan. Having you move in is quite the relief,” you smiled. “We should start eating before the food gets cold.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Steve said as he helped you with the plates and utensils.

You noticed a look of confusion on Steve’s face as you opened the lids to the containers, “Have you had this before? It’s Thai food.”

“No. It smells really good,” he looked in awe, “It’s actually on my list of things to try. I suppose I was in the right place at the right time.”

You didn’t know if he was referring to his moving in next door or the timing of your planned lunch. You let out a chuckle and helped serve him food, “Well I hope you like it.”

“I hope so too. Since it seems you’ve lived here for quite a while, is it okay if I get a tour of the neighborhood? Sam told me he wasn’t too familiar…” Steve trailed off.

“Sam lied about that. He lived in this building a couple of years back before he bought a house,” you stifled a laugh, “Oh gosh, he’s something else. I see what he did here.”

“Oh? Do tell because I’m not letting Sam off the hook,” he smiled a little, intrigued with what you were about to say.

“He’s been trying to get me to go out for ages. He thinks I’m lonely. I just never had the time.”

“Funny… because now that you mention it Sam’s been trying to set me up on dates as well. He’s taken over the role from a woman that I know. He said that I need to ‘slow down’ a bit since I was always busy.”

You quirked an eyebrow as you talked after taking a bite from your meal. “Sam set us up, not that I don’t mind. He’s a good friend and all.”

“And he’s one of the few people I can trust. If Sam can trust you then I’m sure it’s not a big deal,” he said right before indulging in a spoonful of green curry and rice. “Whoa, this is really good. Never thought Thai food was going to be this delicious. Thanks, [Name].”

You beamed at him as you continued to eat, “You’re welcome.”

“So [Name], should we let Sam’s efforts go to waste?”

"Are you implying that you actually want to go on a date, Steve? Especially with a complete stranger like me?”

“You’re not exactly a stranger anymore if we’re both already having lunch and you’re my next-door neighbor,” Steve smiled gently at you as he finished his meal.

“Touché. You do bring up a good point,” you laughed. “How about I give you a tour of the neighborhood after we finish putting away the leftovers and clean up?”

“Okay. It’s a date then?”

“Yeah, it’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I REALLY NEED TO WRITE A FLUFF PIECE SOON. Maybe tomorrow. Or not. IDK yet.


	3. Never Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whether or not you were in a relationship with Steve, you were never safe to begin with...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally started writing a fluff/drama piece, but then halfway through it turned into this angsty thing lol. Warning for violence/blood and character-death.

It was five o’clock in the afternoon and you were waiting for your boyfriend. Usually you’d go over to his apartment so you found it odd that he suggested that you’d meet him at the local café.

“Sorry for being late, did you wait a while?”

“No Steve,” you stood up and patted down the pleats of your skirt. You adjusted the shoulder strap of your bag and took a step toward Steve. You noticed how tense he was as he took one step back.

“Listen… uh. How do I say this? Hmm, I thought this would be easy…”

You tugged the bottom of your sweater as you anticipated what he’s about to say, “What is it?”

“We need to break up,” he said as he reached out to place a hand on your shoulder.

You brushed his hand away and took a step back. You felt uneasy as a mix of emotions built up inside of you: hurt, anger, sadness, but most of all, confusion. The relationship that you two worked on was going so well. You remember Tony teasing that you and Steve practically were a married couple due to how inseparable you two were. A few days ago you even suggested to Steve to move in together and he was open to the idea.

“Why? I thought we were going so well,” you said as you choked back your tears. You stifled a sob.

“I know, but I’ve been thinking about how things have been getting dangerous lately. I want to keep you safe. You know that I love you…” he trailed off.

You didn’t know how to respond. You shook your head, feeling betrayed by his actions. “If you love me, wouldn’t you have talked this over with me before deciding?”

“I actually talked it over with the others—“

“—You mean the ‘other’ Avengers.”

“Yes,” Steve lowered his voice as he took your hands in his own, “Look. It’s not easy for me to explain this, but until things calm down a bit… wait for me?”

You nodded as you wiped your tears. Steve reached over and brushed the tears away from your face gently with his thumbs. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on your forehead.

 

\---

 

The noise from the bustling city took over as Steve stared at the Manhattan skyline from his apartment building in Brooklyn. He closed his eyes as a dog’s bark could be heard from below and sirens passed through the street.

 _‘Is this how it truly feels like to be alone?’_ he questioned himself as he opened his eyes.

Steve gazed at Avengers Tower, fully aware his comrades were celebrating their victory over another “power hungry” enemy without him. Things were finally calming down, but you weren’t there to celebrate with him.

When you both broke up and parted ways was the last time he saw you before what happened.

You were dead. You died a few weeks ago.

Steve’s biggest regret was letting you go. Regardless of whether or not you were with Steve you were never safe, not as long as you were his weakness. The enemies eventually found out who you were and used you to their advantage.

The Avengers found the secret hideout to one of the last remaining HYDRA factions and had also found out you were there. Unfortunately HYDRA was one step ahead of them. They held you hostage. They tortured you, sending live video transmissions of the harm being done to you by the group… until it was time to break Steve. And he did.

He lost friends and loved ones over the years, but not in the way you were killed.

Steve tried his best to block out the memory, how he shielded himself from enemy fire, how your cries for help rang throughout the warehouse. He suddenly opened his eyes as he remembered you calling out his name. He dropped down to his knees, unable to contain the agony he’s been trying to suppress.

 

\---

 

\- Flashback -

 

_“S-Steve…” you softly cried as the higher-ranked HYDRA agent held a tight grip on you._

_“Let her go!” Steve yelled as he took a few steps forward._

_“Nu-uh… you give us what we want then I will let her go,” the agent smirked. He placed his gun in his holster and pulled out a combat knife, placing it against your throat._

_You got more nervous as you felt the cold metal against your throat, worried that at any given moment your life would be taken away. Your tears continued to pour down as you began to lose hope of any chance of being saved by your beloved._

_Steve’s hand formed a fist as he knew he was at a dead-end without the others. At the same time he couldn’t stand around and do nothing. He calculated how many seconds it would take for him to run over to you and free you from your captor, but each calculation he thought up would be too slow in preventing your death. He didn’t know what to do. “Damn it…”_

_Clint and Natasha arrived and took note of what’s going on. They glanced back at Tony, who arrived in time as well._

_Natasha frowned and pointed her gun at the HYDRA agent, “Just say the word and I’ll pull the trigger.”_

_“This is between me and the Captain,” the agent said. “With that said Captain Rogers, I’m giving you three seconds to decide.”_

_Clint’s grip on his bow tightened as he was getting ready to aim as well, “Cap it’s not enough time!”_

_“Three…”_

_“Rogers, just let me shoot!”_

_“I can’t let her die! Hold on!”_

_“Two…”_

_“She’s going to die if you don’t do something!”_

_“Steve, hurry… please…”_

_“One…!”_

_“I’ll do whatever you want! Just let her go!”_

_With no hesitation the agent swept the sharp blade against your throat._

_**Drip. Drop. Dripdropdripdrop.** The sound of blood spilling from your open throat echoed as the HYDRA agent let go of your body. Everyone’s eyes widened as they witnessed you fall forward to the floor, killed right in front of them. Steve's body trembled as he dropped his shield and ran towards you._

_“No!!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PSYCHO-PASS had some influence on this one, so if you watched that anime then you know which episode in Season One I got inspired by. Hope you are rolling in the feels! If not, don't worry... the next one is going to be a fluff piece!


	4. Reasons Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While being away on a mission with the Avengers, Steve decides to send you a sentimental video transmission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mushy, fluffy goodness. Oh gosh... hopefully this will make up for the trainwreck that was the previous one-shot. :'D

It’s been a month since your boyfriend went on a mission with The Avengers. You took up residence on his floor of the tower after about a year of dating. You sighed to yourself as you sat down on the sofa. You flipped through the channels on the television until JARVIS’ voice came on.

“Miss [Last Name], a video transmission has been sent over by Captain Rogers. Would you like to view the video playback?”

“Yes JARVIS, thank you,” you smiled a little to yourself as you began to watch the screen.

You observed Steve’s surroundings and noticed he was on the quinjet with the other Avengers. You saw him fidgeting in his seat as he watched Tony set up the camera. Tony stood back and nodded, “Should be good to go, Blondie.”

“Thanks Stark,” Steve said as he sat up and looked directly at the camera. He took a deep breath and smiled, “Hey [Name], it’s been close to a month since we last saw each other. Listen, I know it’s been hard for you to be at home without me but I can promise you this—I’m coming home soon.”

You felt a bit of excitement and relief at those words.

“Well… there’s more as well. I feel like I don’t tell you ‘I love you’ enough whenever we’re together, so I thought I should tell you a list of reasons why I love you,” Steve trailed off as he could hear Tony and Clint teasing in the background. He scratched his temple a bit and laughed. He cleared his throat in hopes they would lower their voices.

“[Name], for a long time I was lost. I was stuck in the past. Ever since waking up from the ice I felt so alone, but after meeting you I felt as if things were finally going in the right direction.”

You sat back and crossed your arms, a bit surprised with how sentimental Steve was getting with his feelings. You longed for his warm embrace, the touch of his skin, and his breath on your neck. This video was not helping your situation.

“I love that you were patient with me and my feelings for you before we started dating. I love it when you try to make me laugh after I have a rough day. I especially love it when you smile, because when you do… it brightens up my life,” Steve smiled as he looked down at his hands. He paused momentarily to gather his thoughts and shyly smiled to himself.

He looked back up at the camera and continued, “We’ve also had our share of arguments but we learned to overcome them and settle our differences. You patiently wait whenever I go on missions and you continue to support me despite the fact that you never know when I’m coming home. I was once asked ‘what makes me happy?’ and honestly—it’s you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too…” you whispered as you were wishing that Steve was by your side.

“Whenever I’m with you I’m at my best, and I know I can take on anything with you by my side. So [Name], turn around because…”

You looked confused as the television screen faded to black.

“…Because I have something else to say.”

Your eyes widened as you heard a familiar voice from behind. You quickly climbed up on the sofa and jumped over it. You couldn’t contain your excitement as you saw Steve, in civilian clothing, standing a few feet from you.

Steve pulled you against his body the moment you reached him. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” you said as you rest your head against his chest. “What was with the video? You know you don’t have to tell me all those things because your actions already say more than enough.”

“There’s more to it, [Name],” he softly said as he gently pulls away from the hug, “I said all those things because I want you to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

You felt butterflies in your stomach as you watched Steve reached inside the pocket of his leather jacket, pulling out a velvet box. He got down on one knee and opened it, “[Name]… will you make me the luckiest man in the world and marry me?”

“Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you,” you sobbed as you leaped forward into his arms.

Steve laughed as you both stood up. He placed the ring on your finger and pressed his lips against yours. You tasted the sweetness from his kisses and sensed the passion and longing he had for you after only a month of separation. Steve pulled away from the kiss and held you close, glad that you answered positively to his proposal, hopeful for whatever the future had in store for the both of you.


	5. Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your bed felt warmer than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short fluff piece. Was lazy today after I came home from work (took a 2-3hr nap), but this idea came about... so yeah. enjoy!

You felt warmer than usual in your queen-sized bed. Oftentimes you’d find yourself shivering under your comforters. Then you realized what happened the night before as you felt Steve pull you closer into his arms.

“Good morning,” Steve said as he opened his eyes.

You smiled at him and reached over, gently stroking the side of his face, “Good morning.”

He took your wrist and placed a soft kiss on it, “Want to do anything today?”

“After last night? Nope. I’d rather stay in bed with you,” you giggled as you scooted in, resting your head underneath his chin.

“Sounds like a plan,” he happily sighed as he drifted back to sleep.

You had finally let Steve stay over for the night. The two of you often avoided the subject of having sex due to his inexperience and your indifference towards it. It’s not that you didn’t like having sex; you just didn’t think it should be the most important aspect of a relationship. You were glad Steve was a gentleman as he shared many of the same feelings towards relationships as you.

Last night, however, you felt the tension in the air as you found him to be looking at you in places you haven’t seen his eyes wander before. You smiled to yourself as you remember teasing him about his behavior, making him feel uncomfortable and awkward about spending the night over your place. After exchanging romantic words and sharing a heated kiss, things led to the bedroom and now you’re in each other’s arms—only covered in bed sheets—the morning after.


	6. No Comparison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He thought you didn’t feel the same way.  
> You thought you were too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IDK where this came from, tbh. :| I haven't been in a great mood the last few days so I apologize for the angst.
> 
> Trigger warning for depression and thoughts of suicide.

For being the “symbol” of America, it took Steve a lot of courage to tell you his feelings. And he finally did. You, on the other hand, were in a complete state of shock. Yes you felt the same way as Steve, but you couldn’t find yourself to formulate the proper words. Soon things became awkward for the two of you. Steve thought you rejected him by not giving him an answer. You couldn’t find it in yourself to approach him... until today.

 

\---

 

You were finally going to tell Steve your feelings. It’s been nearly a month since he confessed to you, but after spending countless of days doing some soul searching you’ve finally reached a point where you knew you had to stop running away. You’re in love with him just as much as he’s in love with you. You only hoped that he still felt the same way.

You heard light footsteps come from the elevator as you sat in the living room of the top floor in Avengers Tower. You were fidgeting in your seat as you were waiting for Steve to arrive. You sighed in disappointment as you heard Tony and Maria talk. You were hoping Steve would make his way to the top floor soon.

“Heard Romeo’s moved on from his Juliet,” you heard Tony say as he passed by with Maria.

“What?” you questioned as you stood up, a look of confusion plastered on your face.

 “Hill’s got the details,” Tony shrugged as he made adjustments to his notes on his tablet.

Maria rolled her eyes a bit and answered, “Romanov told us this morning. Rogers had asked out that former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Fury had watching over him. They went out for dinner last night.”

You relaxed your shoulders and did your best not to cry in front of them. You bit your lip as you walked towards the elevator with your head hanging low.

“[Name], we’re about to have a meeting—” Tony turned to see Maria place a hand on his arm as he’s held back from going after you.

“Stark, I think we should leave her alone for a while,” Maria nodded as she crossed her arms, watching the rest of the Avengers exit the elevator as you step inside.

Steve smiled as he saw you. “Hey [Name].”

The smile disappeared from his face as he looked a little disappointed with your lack of response, taking note of your behavior. A tear fell down as you avoided looking in his direction and wrapped your hoodie snug around yourself. After the elevator doors closed, Steve glanced back at the rest of his team members. He was worried about his friend, more importantly, about the woman that he loved.

Last night was a mistake. He thought that by taking Sharon out for dinner he would quickly get over his feelings for you but it made things worse. Steve couldn’t stop thinking about you during the date. He remembered how it quickly ended the moment he accidentally called Sharon with your name.

“Steve?” Natasha called out from her seat.

“Hey Cap, we’re about to start,” Tony said as he focused on his tablet.

“Sorry. Be right there,” Steve trailed off as he walked over for the meeting.

 

\---

 

You felt empty as you stared at your reflection in your bathroom. Your eyes were red from crying earlier. Whenever you were at your lowest you brushed off all the negativity and moved on. You blinked back tears as you tried to shut out thoughts of all the people you lost.

From losing your parents when you were young to losing your former comrades within S.H.I.E.L.D., you hated the thought of being alone. Sure you were an Avenger, but you were never considered as strong as the others. Now that your only chance of filling the void from within is gone as Steve’s moved on, all you wanted to do was disappear.

 _‘So this is what Bruce felt like when he didn’t want to exist anymore, huh?’_ you frowned as you tried to rid yourself of thoughts of hurting yourself.

You shook your head and stepped out of the bathroom. You just needed to get out of Avengers Tower. If suicide wasn’t an option then running away was the next best thing. You entered your bedroom, grabbed a few of your belongings and stashed them in your shoulder bag. You made your way towards the elevator and gasped as you saw Steve exit.

“Uhh, hey. Going somewhere?” Steve asked nervously.

“Yeah, well… I-I don’t know,” you hesitated as you sat yourself down on the couch in your living room. You placed your shoulder bag on the coffee table and mumbled a bit, “I don’t even know what I’m doing with myself.”

Steve slowly made his way towards you. “Obviously you’re upset.”

“Obviously,” you shrugged, not wanting to do anything with Steve.

“Then we need to talk,” he firmly said.

“About what?”

“Us.”

Steve walked around the couch and sat himself next to you, but not too close as he’s fully aware of how uncomfortable you were in his presence. He clasped his hands together as he rested his elbows on his knees, turning to look at you.

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into an hour. A full hour of silence and glances between the two of you as you were both trying to understand each other and the situation you got yourselves in.

“I’m sorry for taking forever to answer,” you finally said as you broke the silence and stood up.

Steve followed your example as he stood upright. Afraid he was going to say the wrong thing, he didn’t respond. He simply looked down at you as he waited for you to continue on.

“I didn’t know how to respond to your feelings about a month ago. I haven’t felt wanted by anyone in a long time,” you briefly paused and looked down. “I love you, Steve. I just want you to know, even though I know it’s too late. I know that you moved on with Sharon, so I guess we can just continue on, ‘business as usual’ or whatever.”

Steve placed a hand on your shoulder and used his other hand to tilt your chin up so that you’re looking directly into his eyes. “Hey, look at me.”

You looked up as tears started to form. You hated feeling so weak in front of him. You never wanted him to see this side of you.

“First off, Sharon and me? There’s nothing there. I thought I could get over you by going out on a date with her, but I was wrong. Sure I had feelings for Peggy back then, but to say I moved on is an understatement. You helped bring me up to speed when I woke up from the ice. You’re the first person I ever considered a friend from this time,” Steve said as he gently wiped your tears away.

“I don’t ever want you to feel alone. It was never too late to begin with. There’s no comparison, [Name].  No one can compare to you. You’re my best girl. I—” Steve took a deep breath and smiled, “I love you.”

 “R-Really?” you choked back your tears as you reached up to gently stroke the back of his neck.

Steve rested his forehead against yours and replied, “Really.”

You leaned up for a kiss, the coldness from your lips warming up against his. You were relieved that Steve’s feelings were mutual. All of the negative thoughts that you had earlier were gone. Now you knew that you were never going to be alone.


	7. Close Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You almost gave up. Now you needed to tell Steve you were sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short fic is short. Haven't been inspired lately ;__; Whelp.

You were breathing heavily as you slid down the wall, clutching your side. You were shot in the abdomen twice. You didn’t know if the others were on the way to your location. You barely got a signal where you’re at due to how deep you infiltrated the eastern section of the HYDRA base.

_‘I need… to stay awake…,’_ you thought to yourself as your vision started to get blurry. _‘They’re on their way…’_

You were slowly closing your eyes. You let go of your side as your breathing began to slow down.

“I’ve found her!” you heard a very familiar voice.

“Steve…?” you weakly said.

“[Name], we’re going to get you out of here. Stay with me,” Steve said desperately as he carefully applied pressure onto your wound.

“I’m so sorry…” you whispered as you gently place your hand over his.

Steve’s eyes widened as you were starting to give up. He couldn’t lose you, not when he still hasn’t told you his feelings. He regretted letting you slip through his fingers and run off on your own during this mission. If he lost you he would only have himself to blame.

 

\---

 

You took a deep breath and arrived on Steve’s floor. Thankfully to your quick regenerative system you were able to recover smoothly from your injuries within a few weeks. You wanted to rejoin the rest of the Avengers for future missions, but first you needed to apologize to Steve.

You noticed Steve step out from his room and pause briefly as he saw you. He continued to walk in your direction and stopped directly in front of you.

Steve crossed his arms and sighed, “[Name], shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I’m fully rested, thank you very much for asking,” you sensed the disappointment in his voice, “Look. I’m sorry about what happened a few weeks ago.”

“Sorry for what? Giving up? Not wanting to live anymore? I respect that it’s your choice, but…” he reached over, placing his hands on your shoulders and looking into your eyes, “I wouldn’t know what to do if I lost you.”

You nodded your head, “I’ve come to realize that. I talked to everyone earlier during the meeting. I was hoping you were there but Natasha told me you were actually upset. Now here I am. So… please, accept my apology.”

“I’ll accept your apology, but on one condition.”

“What is it?”

“We do things together from now on as a team or just you and me,” Steve cleared his throat a bit, “I mean, if you want to be paired up with me.”

Steve tried his best to hide his embarrassment. He was initially upset with you and now he’s flustered trying not to reveal his feelings for you in one go. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to do that. It’s been weeks since the both of you held a simple conversation so he wanted to gradually work his way back to being friends with you.

You chuckled at his behavior and teased, “I don’t mind being paired up with you. Who knows, maybe you’ll finally ask me out on a date?”

“Yes. Wait, w-what?” he looked a bit shocked as he watched you step into the elevator without him.

“Later, Steve,” you grinned as you made your way to your floor. You had to thank Natasha later for finding out about Steve’s feelings for you.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to throw some ideas for one shots or drabbles in my direction by commenting. I won't promise that I'll be able to follow through with any suggestions but it might help me out if I ever run out of ideas. :D


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